Glass panels for overhead door



lOct. 18,` 1960 `1:5.1-1. Rw'E :TAL 2,956,314

Guss PANELS FOR OVERHEAD DOOR v f Filed Feb. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORS k @we T29; /Wg

Oct. 18, 1960 D. H. RowE :TAL y 2,955,314

GLASS PANELS FOR OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Feb. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 Il: il INVENTORS United States Patent O GLASS PANELS FOR OVERHEAD DOORDale H. Rowe and Roy R. Jackwig, Galesburg, Ill., as-

signors to Rowe Manufacturing Company, Galesburg, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Filed Feb. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 790,740

'4 Claims. (Cl. 20-36) This invention relates to glass panels foroverhead doors and more particularly to a new muntin construction forsectional door frames.

Overhead doors for garages or the like commonly comprise a plurality ofsections hinged one to another. Each section extends the full width ofthe door and constitutes a fractional portion of the doors height. Asection commonly comprises four outer framing members: two horizontalmembers or rails and two vertical members or Stiles. Intermediatevertical members or mullions are spaced between the stiles. The stiles,rails, and mullions provide rectangular framing for panels of hardboardor plywood. Y

Glass panes are frequently substituted for all or a portion of thepanels and are peripherally held in position by removable glazingstrips. The intermediate vertical members between adjacent glass panesare most properly referred to as muntins. The stiles, rails, mullions,and muntins are generally of uniform thickness wooden construction andare joined to each other by mortise and tenon joints.

The glazing strips are provided to facilitate replacement of brokenpanes, and are commonly nailed or screwed into place. They arefrequently broken or marred during the replacement of a pane and arediflcult to position correctly after they have once been removed. Ifnailed too tightly against the glass, the strips pinch it and cause itto break when the door slams or is jarred. lf nailed too loosely, thewindow rattles.

In doors with a great many glass panes, thin obscure muntins aredesirable for appearance and passage of light. Standard opaque woodenmuntins lessen the desired illusion of high glass area.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a removable metal orplastic muntin for use with the stiles and rails of a standard doorsection.

It is another object of this invention to provide a muntin constructionthat will facilitate the initial insertion and replacement of glasspanes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a muntin that blendswith the adjacent glass panes and contributes to the lbeauty of thedoor.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a muntinconstruction that resiliently holds the glass pane in place but isflexible enough to minimize pane breakage due to shocks transmittedthrough the framing members.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a two piecemuntin construction that is easily movable within a door section, whichis well adapted to continuous reuse upon repeated glass breakage, Iandwhich provides adequate reinforcement to expanses of glass Within thesection.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe accompanying drawings and the description of the features of thespecific embodient of the invention herein described.

.Y 2,956,314 Patented Oct. 18, 1960 In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a garage with an overhead garage door.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of adoor section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional viewl takensubstantially along line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the muntin constructionherein'described showing the pieces in *clis-l assembled relation.

Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged fragmentary cross sectional v-iew ofthe muntin and the adjacent glass panes in disassembled relation.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional View of the muntin andglass panes in assembled relation.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the abutting portions ofadjacent door sections.

Referring now with greater particularity to the drawings, Fig. l showsan overhead door 10 comprising four sections 12. Each section comprisesan upper rail' 14, a lower rail 16, a left stile 18, a right stile 20,three glaSS panes 22, and two intermediate upright members or muntins 24separating adjacent panes. Adjacent sections are pivotally'connected byhinge means 26 (see Fig. 3) on the back side of the door. The stiles arejoined to the rails by moxtise and tenon joints, but the muntins 24 areof special construction as will be herein described. i

The muntin 24 (see Fig. 4) comprises a pair of parallel extruded plasticstrips: a face strip 28 and a back strip 30. The face strip 28 comprisesa pair of legs 32 and 34 which are interjoined in a rounded vertex33 toform an approximate dihedral right angle. Two mutually symmetricalflange portions 36 and 38 project from the inner sides of legs 32 and 34respectively. The ange portions 36 and 38 converge to form akeyway 37and then extend in a parallel manner to form a narrow channel 39 openingaway from the vertex 33.

A long rod 40 in the nature of a bolt extends longitudinally through thekeyway 37 and is trapped in position adjacent the vertex. The rod 40extends through vertical holes 41 and 43 drilled in the upper and lowerrails 14 and 16 respectively (Figs. 3 and 7) whereby to position theface strip 28 therebetween.

An internally threaded anchor member or T-nut 42, provided withdownwardly extending anchor points 45, is centered on the hole 41 anddriven into the -top of top rail 14. One end of the rod 40 is threadedinto the anchor member 42. The other end of rod 40 is provided with aslotted head 44 and a washer 46 for engagement with the bottomsurface ofthe bottom rail 16.

The back strip 30 is of approximately the same width as the front strip28 and comprises two mutually coplanar flange portions 48 and 50 spacedapart and interjoined by a channel portion 52. The channel portion 52opposes the face strip ange portions 36 and 38 when the muntin 24 is inassembled relation.

A plurality of self-tapping screws 54 with a common minor diameter ofslightly less than the width of the channel 39 is provided for insertionthrough preformed holes 56 in back strip 30. The screws 54, when driveninto the channel 39, hold the-front and back strips 28 and 30resiliently against opposing faces of adjacent glass panes 22 wherebyiirmly to clamp and seal the glass panes 22 inposition and to reinforcethem. f A i The screws 54 and back plate 30 are easily removable to freethe clamped edges of the glass panes for removal if necessary. Glazingstrips 58 (Figs. 2 and 3) are used in the usu-al manner along the stilesand rails to clamp the remaining sides of the glass panes in position.

The anchor member 42 is driven into the top rail flush with the surfaceof the wood, but a recess is pro- Several advantages ofthe structurejust describedrirayv now be, noted. The holes 56 may be positionedanywhere along 'the longitudinal center line .of .the Vback strip 30 andmay be easily relocated in the event of damage Vto the channel threadssince the channel is of propernwidth throughout its length for receptionofthe self-tapping screws.

If a lesser or greater number of panes are .desired the muntins can beeasily relocated merely by drilling new holes through the upper andlower rails and relocat-I ing vthe rods 40 therethrough. This ,can bedone without disassembling the door if the work is done while the dooris Vpartially raised. The sections are then hinged at sucient anglestoone another to provide access to the tops and bottoms of the sections.

The muntins are more easily removed and replaced than would be theadditional glazing strips necessary with wooden muntins of conventionalconstruction. In addition, the flexible resilient clamping action of thetwo strips 28 and 30 minimizes breakage due to shock transmissionthrough-the door framing since nowhere is the glass tightly pinched.

It will be noted from Figs. and 6 that the iianges 36-38 whenk drawnwithin the complementary recess on theunderside of the back strip 30,are firmly gripped by the wall defining this recess. Thus, as thethreadcutting screw is tightened withinihe .groove formed between theanges 36 and 38, a very snug iit between these flanges and the backstrip 30 is assured.

When made of clear plastic, the muntins of the present inventionpresenta desirable appearance. An illusion of a more or less continuousexpanse of glass is created, and'more light passes through thedoor thanif the Wider, opaqueY wooden muntins were used.

Aluminum or other decorative metal may be used in place of the plasticto create a desired effect. Also, the clamping strips may vary incross-sectional shape without deviationV from the present invention.'I'he extruded strips of plastickare easily cut to length and useablefor varioustypes of door section. The precise extruded shape mayobviously be changed within limits to function in similar manner to theparticular embodiment above described. The numerous modications of thepresent invention that may occur to one skilled in the art are to be.understood as forming a part of this invention insofar as they fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention isclaimed as follows:

`l. In an overhead garage door section comprising two horizontal rails,Ytwo vertical stiles .interjoined therewith, and aplurality of glasspanes, the improvement which comprises a removable plastic muntindisposed between and in clamping relation with respect to two adjacentglass panes, said muntin comprising a rst strip member of uniform crosssection which comprises a pair of equidimensional angularly disposed legportions, the end surfaces of said, leg portions being disposed in acommon `plane whereby conveniently to be engageable with mutuallycoplanar surfaces of adjacent panes, intermediate flange portionsprojecting from the central region of `each of said leg portionsinwardly toward one another whereby to form a longitudinal groove, saidflange portions being bent so as to form a slot portion which extendsbetween saidpanes, the outer portions of said ange portions beingengageable with the adjacent edges of said panes, a second strip memberof substantially equal width and length with said iirst strip member andcomprising outer ange portions for engagement with said panes oppositethe areas of engagement of the leg portions of said first strip memberwith said panes, a central portion offset from said panes andinterconnected with said lflanges, screw means extending through saidcentral portion and into said `slot Yportion for threaded engagementwith said intermediate flange portions, said screw means -beingtightenable whereby to urge said iirst strip member flange portionsandsaid second strip member flange portions resiliently against opposingsides of said panes, elongated rod'means of greater diameter than thewidth of said slot and extending through said groove longitudinallythroughout said first strip member and through suitable apertures insaid rails, said rod means being secured between said lrails whereby to-be held in fixed relation to said section.

2. In an overhead garage door section comprising two horizontal rails,two vertical Stiles interjoined therewith, and a plurality of glasspanes, the improvement which comprises a'removable muntin disposedbetween and in clamping relation'with respect to two adjacent glasspanes', said muntin comprising a first strip member of uniform crosssectional configuration which comprises two equidimensional angularlydisposed leg portions, the end surfaces of said legportions beingdisposed ina common plane whereby conveniently to be engageable withmutually coplanar surfaces of adjacent panes, a projection cornprisingintermediate flange portions projecting from each of said leg portionsand extending between said panes, a second strip member of substantiallyequal width and length with said .first strip member and comprisingouter'flange portions for engagement with said glass panes opposite theareas of engagement of "the leg portions of said `iirst strip memberwith said panes, ra central portion offset from said panes and providinga longitudinal recess of a width substantially equal to the thickness ofsaid projection telescopically receiving and gripping Vthe outersurfaces of said intermediate flange portions to resist separationthereof upon the insertion of fastening means therebetween, andfastening means extending through said central offset portion and intogrippingengagement with the inner surfaces of said intermediate flangeportions whereby resiliently to urge said rst strip member leg portionsand said second strip member ange Vportions against opposing faces ofsaid panes.

3. In an overhead garage door section as claimed in claim 2, whereinsaidfastening `means comprises screw elements vthreadedly .embedded inthe inner surfaces of said intermediate ange portions.

4. In an 4overhead garage door section as claimed in claim 2, whereinsaid first strip member includes a longitudinal groove at the inner endof said intermediate ange portions and ,elongated rod means extendingthrough said groove and secured between said rails.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

